Okonkwo's tragic flaw, is, as in classical literature, hubris or pride. He fears being viewed as weak or feminine (as his father was viewed), and this fear causes him to act rashly. His rash actions cause his banishment and alienation from his son, who eventually abandons him to join the Christian missonaries. Interestingly, Achebe compares Okonkwo's pride in the first half of the novel to the western colonizers' pride in the second half of the novel.